I was so excited when I found this recipe in Real Simple Magazine. We were all on our way to the grocery store this past Sunday and Grace was sitting in the cart holding my recipe in her hands. I got a quick glance at the ingredients and before we left the store the recipe had disappeared, so this is an adaptation of an original that is somewhere in the grocery store graveyard.
Now, I know I’ve said this before but Brian told me this was his favorite soup that I ever made and I think it was mine, too! It reminded me of the ribolita from Florence I dearly love, but without the bread. It’s a hearty one and pairs perfect with a big glass of water, pellegrino (or your favorite red), and thick crusty bread.
Here is what you need:
- 1 lb. of sausage
- 1 1/3 cup of red lentils
- 1 small yellow onion, chopped
- 4 cups of chicken broth
- 1 can of whole peeled san marzano (or hunts) plum tomatoes, pureed with a hand blender
- 1 bag of kale (you’ll use about 5 handfuls)
- salt & pepper to taste
Here is what you do:
take the sausage out of the casings and cook it in a dutch oven so that it almost crumples.
once it’s cooked, remove it from the dutch oven and drain out any remaining fat. Deglaze with pan with a pumpkin beer (I was enjoying an Octoberfest when I made this) or you can use white wine or chicken broth.
Pour some olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan and add your chopped onion. Once that is translucent and fragrant, add your lentils. Let these soak in the oil and the flavor of the onion (about two minutes) and add your chicken broth and crushed tomatoes. Stir together, bring to a boil and add back your sausage. Let this simmer for about 30 minutes. Taste it and add the salt and pepper to your liking. Add your kale at the very end, about 10-15 minutes before you’re about to serve.
Serve with bread and enjoy!! I hope you like this recipe, I think it might become one of your fall staples!